George Lucas: Education the key to robust future

Lucas, who sold Lucasfilm to Disney last month for $2 billion in cash and $2 billion in Disney stock, indicated he will use most of his wealth to educate children in a written statement elaborating on earlier word that educational endeavors will be the big beneficiary of his philanthropy.

"As long as I have the resources at my disposal, I will seek to raise the bar for future generations of students of all ages," he said in a formal "pledge" to improve education.

Calling education "the key to the survival of the human race," Lucas said that a robust future depends on "the social, emotional, and intellectual tools we provide to our children."

Lucas, of San Anselmo, observed that a good storyteller is ultimately a teacher — "using the arts as a means of making education emotionally meaningful" — but that the educational system often fails to make use of the tools at its disposal.

"When I was in high school, I felt like I was in a vacuum, biding time. I was curious, but bored. It was not an atmosphere conducive to learning," he recalled.

"It's scary to think of our education system as little better than an assembly line with producing diplomas as its only goal. Once I had the means to effect change in this arena, it became my passion to do so — to promote active, lifelong learning. I believe in the artisan school of learning, through apprenticeships and Aristotelian questions and discussion."

In this light, he created his educational charities, Edutopia and the George Lucas Educational Foundation, which boost educational innovations, cooperative and project learning, mentorship, parental involvement and technological advances.

Marin County Superintendent of Schools Mary Jane Burke embraced the Lucas statement, saying the filmmaker is "in the forefront of advocating for education and 21st Century skills." Lucas' Edutopia launched a training session in social media for educators last week, she said, lauding the organization as "cutting edge."

Lucas' views on education, Burke added, "are what great educators in Marin County, in the state and across the country strive for. ... George Lucas is a big assist for all educators."

Lucas outlined his educational philosophy this way: "We need to build new foundations, fostering independent thought and a desire to keep learning. Our students need to come away with more than just survival skills, and more than just what is required to complete the program. We need to promote critical thinking and emotional intelligence. We need to focus on building an education system that promotes different types of learning, different types of development, and different types of assessment. We have an opportunity and an obligation to prepare our children for the real world, for dealing with others in practical, project-based environments."

Finally, as technology changes, so do students, Lucas noted. "So should classrooms, and so should our methods of teaching. In a few short years, connectivity has gone from a technological novelty to a daily necessity. It's how our culture communicates, and our children are at the forefront of its use. Understanding those tools — and how to integrate them into learning — is an integral step in defining our future."

The filmmaker's statement indicating he will use his wealth to benefit education was provided to the Independent Journal by Lucasfilm spokeswoman Lynne Hale, who reaffirmed that sale of Lucasfilm does not include the company's Marin ranchland and would not affect plans for low-income housing at Grady Ranch.